TUESDAY, JULY 25 

Tuesdays for the Birds Enjoy the early morning birding at Arrowhead Marsh, Martin Luther King Shoreline. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. Call for meeting location or to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Peach Tastings from 2 to 7 p.m at the Tuesday Berkeley Farmer’s Market, Derby St., at MLK, Jr. Way. 548-3333. 

Cycle Touring: Tips for Paring Down Your Load at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Rally to Save the Berkeley Housing Authority at 5:45 p.m. at Old City Hall, 2134 MLK, 843-6591. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets at 7 p.m.at 1145 Walnut St. near the corner of Eunice.  

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Leapfrog, 6401 Hollis St., Emeryville. To make an appointment call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.  

Raging Grannies of the East Bay invites new folks to join us from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Berkeley Gray Panthers office, 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 

Four Short Films on Housing, Jobs and Unions at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donations $5. 

“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” A documentary about the failed coup against President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. Sponsored by the Berkeley Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

Walking Tour of Oakland Chinatown Meet at 10 a.m. at the courtyard fountain in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza at 388 Ninth St. For reservations call 238-3234. ww.oaklandnet.com/ 

walkingtours 

Bayswater Book Club meets to discuss “Godless” by Ann Coulter at 6:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, El Cerrito. Also organizing meeting to become a Democratic Central Committee Chartered Club. 433-2911. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome. 548-9840. 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. 848-1704.  

Sleep Seminar at 7 p.m. at 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Breema Clinic Open House from 6 to 8 p.m. at 6201 Florio St., Oakland. 428-1234.  

THURSDAY, JULY 27 

Berkeley Mayoral Candidate Debate with Tom Bates and Zelda Bronstein at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 290 27th between Broadway and Telegraph. Candidates for Peralta Board of Trustees will also be debating. Sponsored by the Wellston Democratic Club, open to the public. 

Cee Cee Weeks Day Tree Planting and Potluck from noon to 3 p.m. at Ohlone Park on Hearst Avenue by the McGee Play area. Join us to plant a tree in honor and memory of Cee Cee Weeks, the Disability and Indian Rights activist and share a potluck lunch. 482-8284. 

“Introduction to Community Organizing” Learn how grassroots community power wins campaigns, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. RSVP to 848-0800 ext. 307. 

Teen Science Fiction/Fantasy Book Club will discuss “The Blue Girl” at 4 p.m. at Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue. 981-6133. 

Healthy Sun Practices with Dr. Lani Simpson at 7 p.m. at Teleosis Institute, Upstairs Unit B, 1521B 5th St. 558-7285. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755.  

FRIDAY, JULY 28 

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park, ongoing on Fridays until impeachment is realized. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

“Flowers and People: Auspicious Encounters” Ikebana with Scott Job at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Shambala Center, 2288 Fulton St. Cost is $15. Ikebana workshop on Sat. for $45 or $175 for series of workshops. Pre-registration encouraged. banner@pogodesign.com 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente, Dining Conference Room, 1950 Franklin St., Oakland. To make an appointment call 652-6188.  

Berkeley Folk Dancers Community Classes and Teacher Workshop, ages 8 and up, Fridays through Aug. 18 at 7:45 p.m. at Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10-$15 for five classes, $5 drop-in.  

Bookburning Comedy Showcase featuring Brent Weinbach, Moshe Kasher, Kevin Camia, & Ali Wong at 7 p.m. at the AK Press Warehouse, 674-A 23rd. St., Oakland. Cost is $8. 208-1700. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. 548-6310. 

Kol Hadash Humanistic Shabbat at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring finger dessert to share, and non-perishable food for the needy. Free and open to all.  

SATURDAY, JULY 29 

Tilden’s Treasures An easy nature walk for the entire family to discover some of the park’s residents, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Multicultural Storytelling Tent opens at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St., with programs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 647-1111.  

“Preserving America’s World War II Home Front: Richmond” A tour sponsored by The Northern California Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $30-$40. For details call 233-6151. david_blackburn@nps.gov.  

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around the restored 1870s business district. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of G.B. Ratto’s at 827 Washington St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Oakland Heritage Walking Tour of Temescal from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet in front of Genova Delicatessen, 5905 Telegraph Ave. Cost is $5-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

“Spirit of Moncada” A day-long commemoration of the Cuban Revolution from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Casa Cuba Resource Center, 6501 Telegraph Ave., near Alcatraz Ave., Oakland. Book sale at 10 a.m. BBQ at 1 p.m. with music, salsa dance lessons, readings and more. Music by Annie and theVets and Folk This, a poetry reading by Jack Hirschman, from 6 to 9 p.m. Donation $5-$15, no one turned away. 658-3984. casacuba@california.com 

“Come Spot, Come” Teach your dog to come when called, no matter what the distraction, from noon to 1 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2128 Cedar St. Cost is $35. Registration required. 849-9323. 

“Earth Medicine” on using the healing power of nature at 11 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Spiritwalking: Aqua Chi(TM) at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Cost is $5.50, $3.50 seniors & disabled. Bring your own towels. 526-0312. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

SUNDAY, JULY 30 

Two Lakes in a Day Explore the natural wonders of two of Tilden’s lakes on this 4 mile hike. Bring water and a snack to share. Meet at 9 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Oakland Heritage Walking Tour of Glenview from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $5-$15. Call for meeting place. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Annual Classic Taste of Italy Live auction and dinner from 4 p.m. on at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman St. Tickets are $15, $8 for children under 12. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Berkeley. 644-1969. 

“Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity” Planetarium show at 4 p.m. at Chabot Space and Science Center. Tickets are $9-$13. 336-7373. 

Parenting Class on Child Behavior at 10 a.m. to noon at Studio Grow, 1235 10th St. Childcare provided if you call ahead. Sliding scale $10-$30 donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. 415-312-1830. www.awakeparent.com 

Summer Sunday Forum: The Tenderloin in San Francisco with Ben Ames at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Hugh Joswick and Santosh Philip on “Knowing Mind, East and West” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, JULY 31 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people 60+ years old at 10:15 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Cost is $3. 524-9122. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Stress Less Seminar at 7 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Bible School Day Camp from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Aug. 4, at Church on the Corner, 1319 Solano Ave., Albany. Free, but registration required. 526-6632. 

ONGOING 

Energy Saving Program for Residents CYES is running its 7th annual summer program, providing direct-installation of CFLs, retractable clotheslines, showerheads, and more. Services available in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond. Free. 665-1501. 

Child Care Food Program is available without charge to all children enrolled in the BUSD Early Childhood Education progam, based on income eligibility guidelines. Please call for details 644-6358. 

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., July 25, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900.  

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., July 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7533.  

Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets Wed., July 26, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. 981-5502.  

Energy Commission meets Wed., July 26, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5434.  

Mental Health Commission meets Wed., July 26, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. 981-5213.  

Planning Commission meets Wed., July 26, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7484.  

Police Review Commission meets Wed., July 26 , at 7:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950. 

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., July 27, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. 

School Board meets Wed. June 28 at 7:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers. 644-6320. 

TUESDAY, JULY 25 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Paul Robeson: The Tallest Tree in Our Forest” Tues.-Sat., noon to 5:30 p.m. at The African-American Museum, 659 14th St., Oakland. Exhibition runs to Aug. 26. 637-0199. 

FILM 

Screenagers: Documents from the Teenage Years “Our Song” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

The Story Quilters with tandem storytellers Cynthia Restivo and B.Z. Smith at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, at 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Shelly Jackson reads from her novel of conjoined twins “Half Life” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Charles Burack will discuss D. H. Lawrence’s “Language of Sacred Experience: The Transfiguration of the Reader” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Creole Belles with Andrew Carriere at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

Ellen Hoffman and Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Jazz Jam with Michael Coleman Trio at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Free, bring your instrument. 451-8100.  

Randy Craig Trio at 7:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Los Mocosos at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazz- 

school at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 

FILM 

Donde acaban los caminos at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $6. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

International Working Class Film & Video Festival at 7 p.m. at Fellowship of Humanity Hall, 370 27th St. near Broadway, Oakland. Cost is $5. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Starling Lawrence introduces “The Lightning Keeper” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Ave. www.mrsdalloways.com 

“Writing Teachers Write” student/teacher readings at 5 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

David Skibbens will read from his tarot mystery “High Priestess” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Barry Barkan on “The Way of the Champion: A Live Oak Learner’s Journal” at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$20 sliding scale, benefits The Aquarian Minyan. 465-3935. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Roy Zimmerman in “Faulty Intelligence” An evening of satirical songs, Wed. and Thurs. at 8 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2118 Allston Way. 800-838-3006. www.themarsh.org  

Roger Sears Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Jules Broussard, west coast swing, at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Emote Jargin, Wordsmith, Aral at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8. 848-0886.  

Deep Hello at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Matt Heulitt at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Orquestra America, salsa, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Edgardo & Candela, salsa dance celebration at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JULY 27 

FILM 

Beyond Bollywood “Throne of Death” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India” Guided tour at 12:15 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

Kristin Luker on “When Sex Goes to School” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Ave. www.mrsdalloways.com 

Ry Beville, translator, discusses Japanese poet Nakahara Chûya at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Chris Ballard describes “The Butterfly Hunter: Adventures of People Who Found Their True Calling Way Off the Beaten Path” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Justine Shapiro, filmmaker, will discuss her film “Promises” and her Globe Trekker television series, at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Noon Concert with Patricio Angulo Latin Trio at the Downtown Berkeley BART station. Free. www.downtownberkeley.org 

Bill Tapia, ‘ukulele jazz improvisation, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

Las Muchachas at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Earthquake Weather, Leopold and his Fiction at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082.  

Los Pinguos at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8-$10. 849-2568. 

Pheeze Phee, Poach Stevens, Usual Suspects at 10 p.m. at The Ivy Room, 858 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $7. 524-9220. www.ivyroom.com 

Kenny Burrell, 75th Birthday celebration at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $26-$30. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Selector: Subnautic at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

FRIDAY, JULY 28 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Night of the Iguana” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through Aug. 12. Tickets are $12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Aurora Theatre “Permanent Collection” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 30. Tickets are $28-$45. 843-4822. www.auroratheatere.org 

California Shakespeare Theater “Restoration Comedy” at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. through July 30. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

Central Works “The Inspector General” a new comedy, Thurs., Fri., and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through July 30. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Footloose” the musical based on the 1984 film at 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat., and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Contra Costa Civic Theater, 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through August 5. Tickets are $12-$20. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Encore Theatre Comapny and Shotgun Players “The Typographer’s Dream” at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Sept. 3. Tickets are $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Impact Theatre “House of Lucky” Written and performed by Frank Wortham, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Aug. 26. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. 

Stage Door Conservatory Children’s Musical Theatre “Gypsy” at 7:30 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 5 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$20, children and seniors $10. www.juliamorgan.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Event Horizon” Installation and sculpture exploring the industry of the human conciousness. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at Transmissions Gallery , 1177 San Pablo Ave. 558-4084. www.transmissions-gallery.com 

FILM 

Janet Gaynor: A Centennial Celebration “State Fair” at 7 p.m. and “Adorable” at 9 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

John Dean on “Conservatives Without Conscience” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. 559-9500. 

Multicultural Institute’s Youth Writing Festival Reading at 6:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Celebrate Peruvian Independence Day with Lalo Izquirdo & Marina Lavalle at 8:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Kodály Summer Institute Choir performs Fauré Requiem, at 7:30 p.m. at McLean Chapel, Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Admission is free. 

Summer Youth Program Concert at 8 p.m. at the Jazz- 

school. 845-5373.  

Kenny Washington & his Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums with Ms. Carmen Getit at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Judy Wexler at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Bluegrass Intentions at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Ben Stolorow, jazz piano, at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Dave Lionelli and Jamie Jenkins singer-songwriters, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Shimshai, part of the Kirtan devotional music series, at 8 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Cost is $15-$18. 843-2787. 

Fuzzy Cousins, Brian Kenney Fresno, Death By Stork at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Proudflesh at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

The I Grade Showcase, reggae, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15. 548-1159.  

Sol Spectrum at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Paige, Alexis Harte Band at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $10. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Kenny Burrell, 75th Birthday celebration at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $26-$30. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, JULY 29 

EXHIBITIONS 

Takahiko Hayashi “Paintings and Color Etchings” Reception with the artist at 6 p.m. at The Schurman-Scriptum Gallery, 1659 San Pablo Ave. Exhibition runs to Aug. 31. Gallery hours are Wed.-Sat., noon to 6 p.m. and Sun. noon to 5 p.m. 524-0623. 

“New Visions: Introductions” Artist talk at 1 p.m. at Pro Arts, 550 Second St., Oakland. 763-4361. 

THEATER 

Everyday Theatre “Dreaming in a Firestorm” by Tim Barsky at 8 p.m. at 2232 MLK, Oakland. Tickets are $12-$20. 644-2204. www.everdaytheatre.org 

Shotgun Players “Ragnarok: The Doom of the Gods” Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Hinkle Park, through Sept. 10. Free, with pass the hat donation after the show. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Stage Door Conservatory Children’s Musical Theatre “Gypsy” at 5 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$20, children and seniors $10. www.juliamorgan.org 

FILM 

Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum “The Lighthouse by the Sea” at 7:30 p.m. at 37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont. Cost $5. 494-1411. www.nilesfilmmuseum.org 

“The Nth Commandment” with Judith Rosenberg on piano, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Fandango, Searching for the White Monkey” at 11:30 a.m. at the Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak St. Encentro music and dance performances at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Cost is $5-$10.  

Jewish Film Festival From noon to 10 p.m. at the Roda Theater, through Aug. 5. For complete listings of films see www.sfjff.org. Tickets are $10 and up. 925-275-9490. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sandra M. Gilbert and Phyllis Stowell read from their books on death and grief at 3 p.m. in the 3rd floor Community Meeting Room, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6107. 

“Preserving America’s World War II Home Front: Richmond” A tour with The Northern California Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $30-$40. For details call 233-6151. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Joe Vasconcellos at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $20-$25. 849-2568.  

Walter Savage Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island.Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Hamsa Lila, workd groove at 10 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Drum circle at 9 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Dezarie, Ikahba, Luna Angel at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $17-$20. 548-1159.  

Paul Sprawl & Jonathan Best, avant blues and boogie woogie at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204. 

Evelie Posch and Steve Taylor, singer-songwriters, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Regina Pontillo at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

House Jacks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

The Red Elvises, The Kehoe Nation at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10-$15. 848-0886.  

Hamir Atwal Trio and guests at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Rhonda Benin Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Brightblack Morning Light, Daniel Higgs, Mariee Sioux at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Acts of Sedition, Parallax, Shortchanged at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, JULY 30 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Bay Area Landscapes from Trillium Press” opens at Oakland City Center, 500 12th St., Oakland. 238-6836.  

FILM 

Janet Gaynor: A Centennial Celebration “Servants’ Entrance” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jonathan Keats in conversation with Vitaly Koma on conceptual art, collaborative process and Jewish culture at 2 p.m. at the Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $10-$12. 549-6450.  

Poetry Flash with Terry Hauptman & Sharon Doubiago at 3 p.m. at Diesel, 5433 College Ave. 653-9965. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Midsummer Mozart Festival Program 2, at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Tickets are $30-$60. 415-627-9145. www.midsummermozart.org 

Bay Area Classical Harmonies perform Greek and Russian vocal music, at 8 p.m. at the Arlington Community Church, 52 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Cost is $15, children under 16 $2. 526-9146. 

Oakland Lyric Opera’s “Italian Holiday” at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Donation $18-$20, includes post performance reception. Reservations requested. 836-6772.  

Dimensions Dance Theater Rites of Passage Youth Dance Festival at 3 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alcie St., Oakland. Tickets are $13-$16. 465-3363.  

San Francisco Renaissance Voices at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Alameda, 2001 Santa Clara at Chestnut, Alameda. Suggested donation $10-$15, children under 13 free. 522-1477. 

Gearóid Ó Hallmhuráin & Barbara Magone at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Bandworks at 2:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Brazilian Soul at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Americana Unplugged: Squirrelly String Band at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Joe Vasconcellos at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $20-$25. 849-2568.  

Soltré at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

MONDAY, JULY 31 

CHILDREN 

Puppet Art Theater “Little Red Riding Hood” at 7 p.m. at the Temescal Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 5205 Telegraph Ave. 597-5049. 

Opera Piccola “Hansel & Gretel” at 7 p.m. at the Piedmont Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1160 41st St. 597-5011. 

Rafa Cano, Spanish sing-along for children, at 10:30 a.m. at PriPri Cafe, 1309 Solano Ave., Albany. Free. 528-7002. 

Puppet Art Theater “Tommy’s Pirate Adventure” at 3 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 6833 International Blvd. 615-5728. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Revisions” Jonathon Keats: The First Intergalactic Art Exposition opens at the Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St., and runs to Jan. 14. 549-6450.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Mal Warwick describes “Values-Driven Business” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St.  

Poetry Express open mic theme night on “fantasy” at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Blue Monday Jam at 7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Trovatore, traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Max Brand was the pseudonym of Frederick Faust, a pulp writer who had ambitions as a serious poet. Or as he preferred, a serious poet whose day job was spinning cowboy yarns.  

Born in 1892, Faust grew up in Modesto, where he was orphaned at 13 and trapped in grinding poverty. Some of the work he did as he eked out a living on farms and cattle ranches was so hard it damaged his heart. He changed schools frequently. School yard fights left scars on his face and a chip on his shoulder. Faust showed genuine literary talent at Modesto High School and, in 1911, when his teachers offered to help him enroll at the University of California, he accepted instantly. He had an overwhelming desire to put ranch life as far behind him as possible.  

Berkeley  

Faust was happy in Berkeley. Responding to campus life with zest, he contributed a flood of poems, stories and articles to The Occident, The Pelican, and the Daily Californian. He met Dorothy Schillig, his future wife, and he made many friends (including one on whom he later based his famous character, Dr. Kildare.) Professor Leonard Bacon, himself a poet, recognized Faust as a promising writer. Bacon’s seminar on mythology and epic poetry had a profound effect on Faust, permanently influencing his poetry and fiction, and they became lifelong friends.  

But campus authorities eventually noticed the riotous side of Faust’s life—his heavy drinking, public brawling, and casual violations of university rules. Despite pleas from Bacon and others, he was expelled in his senior year. It was a devastating blow. But he made his way to New York City and took the first steps toward establishing himself as a writer.  

For Faust, 1917 was truly a miraculous year. His professional literary career commenced with the sale of a poem to the Century Magazine. Dealing with the death of his father, it opened powerfully:  

They drew the blinds down, and the house was old  

With shadows, and so cold — 

Filled up with shuddery silence like held breath;  

And when I asked, they told  

Me only that the quietness was death.  

His fiction appeared regularly in such magazines as the All-Story Weekly and Argosy. His long association with Hollywood began when one of his stories was filmed. He decided to write poetry under his own name and use pseudonyms for everything else. A western story he wrote as Max Brand was well received and he soon found himself specializing in that genre. He was very well paid, and he was able to marry his Berkeley sweetheart.  

During his career he published three volumes of poetry—The Village Street, Dionysius in Hades, and The Thunderer. These had mixed reviews and small sales. His real success was in the field of commercial fiction, where he produced 125 novels—most of them westerns—and hundreds of short stories. At least 60 movies were based on his work. He is said to have published between 25 and 30 million words. This amazing productivity made him a wealthy man.  

Destry Rides Again  

Faust wrote Destry Rides Again in 1930 at his villa in Italy—a long way from Modesto. Leonard Bacon and Aldous Huxley and their families lived nearby. Bacon’s daughter Martha wrote an affectionate description of Faust in those days:  

“He is a huge man, over six foot three; he is in his late thirties and the look of his youth has left him, the hair is thinning on his massive head. His cold blue eyes are at war with the heated modeling of the jaw and lips. He is Michelangelo’s man, the shoulders big, the limbs well cut, the hands heavy with stub fingers ... He lives like a medieval prince in his Florentine villa.”  

But, she added, he keeps a killing schedule, writing poetry in the mornings and popular fiction in the afternoons, “in clean serviceable prose that whips a story from the gate to the finish line without a pause and that adds up to a count of twelve novels a year.”  

Destry Rides Again is a pulp western, a genre that relied on melodramatic plots set against a western background. Realistic local color made these stories distinctively regional, and gave them a certain authenticity. Its characters spoke in the dialects of the Southwest. They were often stereotypes, reflecting the attitudes and beliefs of the region, including the casual racial prejudices of the time.  

Faust wrote fiction, including Destry, in a trance-like state of reverie. This technique allowed him to draw on his experience and his emotions over and over again, without using them up; it was not a technique for healing self-analysis or therapy. As Grace Flandrau put it, fiction poured out of him “like automatic writing, the material of a dream.” She speculated that it drew on “some disassociated fragment of youthful personality.”  

We are introduced to Harrison Destry as a man who takes pride in being the chief brawler of the dusty little town of Wham:  

...he had fought in the vacant lots; and many a house and store was built over some scenes of his grandeur. For the one star in the crown of Harry Destry, the one jewel in his purse, the one song in his story, was that he fought; and when he battled, he was never conquered.  

We soon see that author and character both feel like outsiders. The story unfolds like a daydream in which details shift and change unpredictably at the dreamer’s will. Some changes are simple rearrangements that keep the hero’s actions legal. Others are due to carelessness; as when “The Last Chance Saloon” becomes “Donovan’s saloon” a few pages after it is first mentioned. Expertise is acquired without effort; we are told Destry eschews pistols, only to learn that he’s a dead shot. Major dramatic events erupt without warning.  

But Destry is not simply an autobiographical fragment. He is also Edmond Dantes, the protagonist of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. Like Dumas’ novel, Destry Rides Again is a story of revenge. Dantes and Destry are innocent men who punish those who wronged them.  

Destry and Chester Bent are rivals for the hand of Charlotte Dangerfield, the daughter of the richest man in Wham. But Bent frames Destry for robbery. Not knowing this, Destry vows to avenge himself on the jury.  

After his release from prison, Destry rides back to Wham and methodically disposes of two members of the jury in a gunfight at the Last Chance Saloon, killing one and maiming the other. He chases another out of town and ruins one more by stealing a compromising letter and giving it to a newspaper. Others are done in just as quickly.  

But halfway through the story, Faust tired of retelling The Count of Monte Cristo. The daydream floats off in another direction, and the surviving jurors are never mentioned again. Now he begins to tell of Destry’s moral rejuvenation, setting the stage for the climax in which Bent almost kills Destry. As Destry tells Charlotte afterward, he’s going to swear off violence for the rest of his life:  

“I’ve met my master,” said he. “I’ve met my peer. He beat me to the draw; he beat me with guns and he beat me hand to hand. I killed him with luck and not with skill. I’ve throwed the gun away, Charlie. I’m an old man, and finished and done for. A Chinaman could laugh in my face, now, and I’d take it!”  

In the happy ending that completes the story, Destry marries Charlotte. Destry and Faust have triumphed over the wrongs they suffered.  

Destry as a Film  

Faust sold Destry to Universal Studios in 1932, where it was adapted as a B-western for Tom Mix. In 1939 it was filmed again, becoming a wonderful film classic starring Marlene Deitrich and Jimmy Stewart.  

In this second version, the screenwriters—Gertrude Purcell, Felix Jackson and Henry Meyers—dumped almost everything in the novel except the title, the hero’s unarmed arrival in Wham, and his rejection of violence. Melodrama gave way to vibrant comedy with a distinctly New Deal atmosphere, a story of civic responsibility and renewal. Wham became Bottleneck, an obstacle to progress: a town where a splendidly crooked mayor governed from a table in the saloon. Stewart played Thomas Jefferson Destry, and Deitrich played Frenchy—a sexy “saloon girl of the old west” with a robust sense of humor. She sang “See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have,” and Stewart gave a startling preview of his performance as Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey.  

A decade after writing Destry Faust described his fiction as “an escape from reality. There was perhaps too much reading and too much actual pain in my childhood. It made me build daydreams, bubbles into which I could escape and find a bright and blue and golden world all for me. I denied pain. So in my stories men may start bad but they must wind up good. Woman are angels and men are heroes.”  

With the approach of World War II he felt a need to write fiction as honestly as he had written poetry. He began a serious novel but set it aside to work as a war correspondent. Accompanying troops into battle near Santa Maria Infante in his beloved Italy, he was killed in action.